This is a messy response from the DoD and not entirely convincing. The group claims to have had access to DoD networks for months and if an insider did leak this much data (apparently 200TB according to the group) I’d expect there to have been arrests already.

The Presidency has belatedly released the executive summary of the independent inquiry into the Lady R. It raises more questions than it answers and I don't believe we can reasonably say that the matter has been closed and settled. I'll go through each of the questionable parts.

I particularly wondered about this one. The statement reads as a kinda "Whelp, we ASKED you for evidence and you, dear public failed." except the process in collecting and asking for info was - I suspect - utterly shambolic.

While it has become necessary to rethink the size, structure, mandate, and missions of the SANDF to match the reduced defence budget, this article's conclusions are the wrong ones & get a lot of basic things wrong. I'll go through those issues step by step.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-0…

Is the SANDF forgetting it's own? What about the four members of 8 SAI who died in a road accident whilst proceeding to an Army exercise (same day as the submarine incident)? SA National Defence Force 🇿🇦

𝗦𝗔 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗬 2022/23 The DoD FY 2022/23 Annual Report has been released, covering the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. The SA Navy planned for 8,000 hours at sea, but only 2,770.32 hours at sea were achieved, just 34.63%! /1

I'm not comfortable with a government department's media channels being used to praise a minister's actions. There should be a clear division between the department and its political head. She has her own ministerial spokesperson and social media account for this sort of thing.

This is despicable and indefensible. Both should be relieved of their posts for holding a golf day while SANDF troops were engaged in heavy fighting with serious casualties and in desperate need of support from SA. How tone deaf & uncaring must you be to go ahead with this?

This comment alone disqualifies her from the role, in my view. Those rankings are speculative, unofficial, and low-quality. They don’t take into account serviceability, training, or operational structures, only on-paper numbers. Nobody of any importance should take them seriously

With what force, and what partners? Unless you can credibly back this up with ready & available forces that you can sustain, and you have enough of them and enough local support to ensure mission success, this is empty bluster. South Africa cannot do it alone, not 3000km away.

John Stupard from African Defence Review says the SANDF has not been forthcoming with the information about the remains of South African soldiers killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that will be handed over to their families on Thursday. #eNCA #DStv403

In prep for the upcoming Extended Army Command Cadre Conference, the chief of the army has continued his reign of insensitivity, asking for sponsorship to buy unnecessary and expensive merchandise for his fellow cadres. With #SANDF in crisis, and in need of leadership, the chief

It's too late to be talking about implementing a decade old Defence Review. It's time to draft a new Defence Review, based on the national threat assessment, with all key stakeholders (internal & external). It must be based on the new world and current funding realities.

"Hey, I know we lost 14 soldiers in the DRC due to underfunding and chronically-incompetent leadership, but how about we give the military even LESS money to do the same job?"

Once again News24 🇿🇦 falls short of quality journalism. Sikonathi Mantshantsha should know better. Very old statistics are used as if it's current. The serviceability of SAAF aircraft has increased since then, not much, but better. So many inaccuracies in the article. /1

PSA: If you want to know what's happening in Defence in General and SA Defence specifically, you must follow Dean Wingrin and Darren Olivier. Cancel any subs and just follow them. And if you read anything about the SANDF please check if they corroborate before you believe it.

The SA Dept of Defence spokesperson, Siphiwe Dlamini, got key facts wrong in this interview. As one example, he claimed the SA Air Force had "well over 10" C-130s with 3 airworthy, in reality it only has 6 still on the books with only 1 semi-airworthy. youtube.com/watch?v=ieMY6y…

I was going to write my own thread on this in response to the comments by the Chief of the SANDF & Minister of Defence at yesterday's briefing spinning SAMIDRC as a 'success', but Dean has done an excellent job of pointing out that the mission can only be considered a failure.

I'd like to know what cost was incurred by the department, and ultimately the taxpayer, for this logistical nightmare. Members of the media were bused to Bloemfontein yesterday, housed by SANDF, all to received troops, who's flight changed, and instead landed in Waterkloof?

The Presidency has confirmed what many of us have been saying regarding the exercise, including that Ramaphosa's instruction, delayed by Chinese obstruction, was that Iran shouldn't actively participate. This instruction was ignored by the SANDF, Iran, UAE, Russia, and China.